Ton-up Samuels helps West Indies beat Bangladesh

06 December, 2012

DHAKA: Marlon Samuels hit a fighting hundred to help the West Indies stage a comeback in their one-day internationals series against Bangladesh with a five-wicket win in the third match in Dhaka on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old Jamaican notched a 149-ball 126 to steer the West Indies to a 228-run target with three overs to spare after Sunil Narine (4-37) bowled the home team for 227 in 49.1 overs. Samuels fell in the 47th over with only six required for a win, hitting 17 boundaries and two sixes and more importantly ensuring he held one end intact to help the tourists keep the five-match series alive at 2-1.

Bangladesh won the first match by seven wickets and the second by 160 runs – both in Khulna. The fourth and fifth matches will be played here on Friday and Saturday. Samuels added an invaluable 111 runs for the second wicket with Kieran Powell (47) after opener Chris Gayle fell for just four in the fourth over, caught behind off Mashrafe Mortaza for his third failure in the series. Powell hit four boundaries and a six off 59 balls. Despite losing three wickets in the middle overs, Samuels kept his cool and reached his fourth one-day hundred with a single off Mominul Haque before hitting three fours and two sixes in paceman Rubel Hossain's 45th over. Abdur Razzak and Mortaza took two wickets apiece.

West Indian captain Darren Sammy praised man-of-the-match Samuels. “We all know how important it was to win this game,” said Sammy. “That knock by Marlon helped us clinch the game. Narine bowled well, we know the quality he possesses and he finally got success.” Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim blamed his batsmen. “It was a difficult pitch, the set batsmen got out at the wrong time. We were 20 runs short. Hope to come back stronger next game,” said Rahim.

Earlier, Mohammad Mahmudullah (52), Rahim (38) and Anamul Haque (33) were the main run-getters for Bangladesh who were sent into bat. Tamim Iqbal (22) and Haque looked solid during their opening stand of 57, before Bangladesh lost four wickets in the space of just 21 runs, with Narine taking three. The 24-year-old spinner's form had been a concern for the West Indies as he managed just three wickets in the preceding 2-0 Test series win and only one wicket in the first two one-day matches, but he finally returned to his best. Narine struck in the 13th over when he dismissed Iqbal and Naeem Islam (four) in one over before trapping the second match centurion Haque leg-before in his next over. A sixth wicket stand of 58 between Rahim and Mahmudullah allowed the hosts to get back on track. Mahmudullah hit three fours and a six off 70 balls and ensured his team got past 200. At the end Sohag Gazi scored a fighting 36-ball 30 with the help of five boundaries to lift the total.